First Home Injection Contraceptive For Women

24 September 2015, 14:13 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

The UK's first self-injectable contraceptive for women is available for use at home, Pfizer has announced.

The Sayana Press long-acting reversible contraceptive has received a licence which means women can inject themselves at home instead of having to go to their GP surgery or clinic.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has extended the label for the product. Each jab provides contraception for at least 13 weeks.

Women will need to see a healthcare professional for training but then can administer Sayana at home, although they will still be called for yearly check-ups.

Seema Patel, medical director of global established pharma UK at Pfizer, said: ``When it comes to contraception, women may require different options that suit them at different times in their lives.

"We appreciate that many women are very busy and that visiting their healthcare professional regularly to pick up their contraception can be a challenge.

"With around five million women in the UK choosing a hormonal contraceptive, self-injectable Sayana Press could offer an alternative to women who are short on time yet still want to take control of their family planning.''